Grey area exact repro. Originally released in 1969. Ike & Co. turn out a nice set of hard funk instrumentals in a JB's mode. "Formed on the end of the '40s, Ike Turner's band Kings Of Rhythm got their place on the rhythm & blues history as well as rock n' roll for their brilliant releases, from their partnership with sax player Jackie Brenston and the release of Rocket 88 under the name Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats (known as one of the very first rock & roll releases in 1951) to the '50s R hits and more than three decades of influential music, including the underrated album A Black Man's Soul from 1969. Even Jimi Hendrix played in the band during the '60s, before being acclaimed as a solo artist. Undervalued LP A Black Man's Soul by Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm reached the level of a prime influence to all those genres for its rich content, specially for Marvin Holmes' dance hit cover 'Funky Mule': its energetic, very intense and powerful opening drum solo by Mack Johnson would become a timeless breakbeat standard." --Alain Patrick